


Strays

by hellostarlight20



Series: If only... [7]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Banter, Cat, F/M, Romance, UST
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-05-15 12:40:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14790687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellostarlight20/pseuds/hellostarlight20
Summary: Rose leaves a party early and discovers a cat curled in front of the TARDIS.





	Strays

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kelkat9](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kelkat9/gifts).



> For kelkat9 Stray, Ten/Rose, rating author's choice ;)

“I know.” Rose smoothed her hand down his head and he purred. “It’s all right though. Nothing more to worry about. Shh.” She repeated her actions again and again, until his head snuggled against her palm. “I know. It’s all right, I’m here now.”

“Rose?” The Doctor, hands in his trouser pockets, long coat billowing behind him, walked casually up to the TARDIS. “Where’d you go? What happened? Why aren’t you inside the TARIDS?” His gaze flickered to the still-closed door. “And where—where did you get that thing?”

The last he spluttered, and Rose valiantly tried not to snicker.

Instead, she stood, braced against the gusting wind of a perpetually-impending storm. “Poor thing is lost. Found him curled up in front of the TARDIS, huddled against the wind.”

The Doctor blinked, rather owlishly, and shook his head. He also pouted, lower lip jutting out rather adorably. Rose wanted to bite it. She valiantly tried not to do that, either.

“Rose Tyler, picking up strays wherever we go.” He shook his head, even as the cat stretched up and curled around Rose’s neck, apparently blocking her exposed skin from the wind.

“Good kitty,” Rose cooed.

“Suck up.” The Doctor pouted.

Rose smirked up at him. “He just wants to keep the wind from me, don’t you?” She gently rubbed the cat’s side and felt his answering purr vibrate against her chest.

“Hmph.” The Doctor scowled and stepped around her to open the TARDIS. “We’re not taking him onto my ship.”

Rose blithely ignored him and stepped into their ship, cat still curled around her. “Why don’t we ask the TARDIS?”

“Absolutely not!” The Doctor scowled again, wind-blown hair looking entirely too gorgeous for Rose’s own good. She wanted to reach up and run her fingers through his hair much as she had done the cat’s.

Valiant—that was her word of the day, it seemed. Because Rose once again valiantly did not coo, pet, or rub the Doctor. It was a close thing.

The TARDIS, siding with Rose as she did in about three-quarters of their quarrels, briefly brightened Her console lighting and moved Her Time Rotor once. One meaning yes, two meaning no, anything else meaning solve it yourselves you stupid, crazy corporal beings.

“Once!” Rose crowed and snuggled her face in the cat’s fur. Which was probably not as soft as the Doctor’s hair. “See? Told you the TARDIS likes animals.”

The Doctor pouted again. “Where did you run off to?” He leaned against the console, alternating between scowling at the cat now smug in her arms and watching her with a curious intensity she didn’t understand.

Well, she had some ideas. Fantasies, one might say. But no concrete proof.

“Oh, you know.” Rose waved a hand and rolled her eyes. “Got tired of listening to the self-important politicians droning on about how much they did for the land and what laws they voted on and all the measures they enacted.” She rolled her eyes. “Like it’s all about them.”

He snickered. “You could’ve grabbed me.”

She raised an eyebrow. Rose clearly heard the double entendre in those words. Or maybe only in her mind. Either way…

“You looked like you were enjoying yourself, as if you and Madam Minister over there were talking up a storm.”

She was not jealous. Not. Not even—wholly. Eh, she was working on that. Self-improvement and all.

Once again, the Doctor frowned and closed the short distance between them. He took her hand, thumb running over her knuckles. “She was talking about the nibbles and where they all came from.”

“Hmm.” Rose was only slightly mollified about that tidbit. “Anything good?”

“Naa.” He dropped her hand and, glaring once more at the cat, turned for the controls. “How about Casiar 9 for lunch? They have the most amazing desserts.”

“Perfect!” Rose grinned, waited until he looked up at her, teased the corner of her mouth with her tongue and nodded. Hey, a little payback and all. Plus, she was keeping tally—how many times did she smile like that and how many times did he watch her mouth?

So far, it was 100%.

“Just let me get him settled.”

“Strays.” The Doctor shook his head and glared up at the Time Rotor. “Always picking up strays.”

“Only those who need me,” Rose shot back, still cooing to the cat. “I’ll pick you up when I get back, don’t land without me!”

The Doctor stared after her, already two steps from the console before he realized it. “You can pick me up any time, Rose Tyler.”

He shook his head and forced himself to walk those telling two steps backward. If only…


End file.
